Preserving heritage: Pragyaparamita reading tradition faces existential threat

Every morning in the Hirna Varna Mahabihar in Patan, some 20 priests recite the chants of pragyaparamita in almost unison tone. For the span of this month, locally celebrated as gunlaa by the Newa community of the Kathmandu valley, the bihar takes turns reciting the 100,000 verses of the pragyaparamita in the name of the different people.

On the other hand, approximately five kilometres from the Hirna Varna Mahabihar, Swayambhu Man Tamrakar, 75 of Mahabouddha is still in search of people willing to recite the pragyaparamita that has been entrusted to him this year.